Philanthropy
Sheree is proud to support Fonkoze (The Foundation) which was created over 23 years ago to bring financial inclusion and development services to Haiti’s poor – providing them a viable way to lift themselves out of poverty. Today, we are a family of 3 organizations – Fonkoze Financial Services (SFF), Fonkoze Foundation and Fonkoze USA – that work together to empower Haitians, primarily women, to lift their families out of poverty.
“One morning I was reading our local newspaper, the Los Angeles Times. There was an article about some of the mothers and fathers in Haiti who had given their children away to orphanages. They had done it temporarily until they could get back on their feet after the devastating earthquake that hit their country on January 12, 2013. It was a means of survival for their children; the only way that they could make sure that they had food to eat, clothes and shoes to wear, and a way to go to school.
I was so heart struck because they told of how the children pleaded with their parents not to send them away. They didn’t care about food or clothes. They just wanted to be with their families. I thought of, as a mother, having to send my children away because I knew that this was the only way that they would be taken care of amidst extreme conditions. I thought of the pain that my actions would cause because I was thinking about them more then myself. Then I began to cry and I knew that I had to do something to contribute to the cause of making their lives better.
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“One morning I was reading our local newspaper, the Los Angeles Times. There was an article about some of the mothers and fathers in Haiti who had given their children away to orphanages. They had done it temporarily until they could get back on their feet after the devastating earthquake that hit their country on January 12, 2013. It was a means of survival for their children; the only way that they could make sure that they had food to eat, clothes and shoes to wear, and a way to go to school.
Sheree has also partnered and sits on the board for Children & Families, Inc. Children & Families, Inc.’s mission is to empower young children and families in overcoming adversities while promoting emotional well-being, health and family cohesion. We are also committed to the Vision of Empowering our future with confident and capable individuals. Together, we can make a difference!
The Children and Families, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that provides non-traditional mental health services to those in need. Our specialty areas are providing prevention and early intervention services to young children, ages birth to five, and to those individuals (birth to adults & families) who have experienced trauma. Our Mission is "To empower young children and families in overcoming adversities while promoting emotional well-being, health and family cohesiveness" and our Vision is "Empowering our future with confident and capable individuals." We strongly believe our parents, teachers, and other caregivers involved in the child's life are the agents of change and we are the facilitators of that change.